“Wagon Wheel” biggest + “Beers and Sunshine” latest
by Preshias Harris
Darius Rucker reacts to comments from UMG Nashville Chairman and CEO Mike Dungan. Photo credit: Preshias Harris
Darius Rucker was the focus of a triple celebration October 27 as friends and peers joined him for a private party at the Electric Jane in Nashville, hosted by UMG Nashville.
During the event, Darius and record producer Frank Rogers were presented with an RIAA Diamond award for the hit song “Wagon Wheel.” The party also recognized Darius’ achievement of ten Number One singles. Particular focus was on his latest chart topper, “Beers and Sunshine” that he wrote together with Ross Copperman, J.T. Harding and Josh Osborne. Copperman also produced the hit single.
Read the full report, including my Q&A with Darius, under the “Preshias On The Row” tab at Center Stage Magazine here.
“Beers and Sunshine” apparently made history as the first Country No. 1 to have been not only written but also entirely recorded via Zoom. Darius told me that the process was ‘nervy’ for him.
“It was crazy and I love the song and it sounds great, but I never want to do it again!”
CRS featured an unforgettable show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville as Darius Rucker reunited with his Hootie and the Blowfish bandmates. Unforgettable? Well… Keith Urban DID forget the words to his new song, which made the show unforgettable for a forgetful reason!
Universal Music Group Nashville (UMG) invited attendees of this year’s Country Radio Seminar (CRS) to a lunchtime showcase at the Ryman Auditorium on February 14. CRS, now in its 50th year, is the world’s largest gathering of radio decision-makers and the recording artists who wish to interact with them.
Little Big Town at UMG at the Ryman. Photo: Harris
Royce Risser, UMG’s Executive Vice President of Promotion emceed the event, getting in a few witty ‘digs’ at radio execs in the audience as he light-heartedly urged them to add these songs to their playlists. In a fast-moving show, each act came on stage to perform one song – generally a cut that would impact Country Radio in the days or weeks ahead. (See below for a full list of performers.)
Keith Urban debuts “We Were”
Keith Urban came out on stage to perform “We Were,” a song so new that he brought out his cell phone so he could sing and play along to it. Technology is subject to Murphy’s Law (If anything can go wrong, it will) and the track stopped playing after just a few bars.
Undeterred, Urban re-started the track and, when it once again failed, he carried on singing to just his acoustic guitar. But a minute or so later he suddenly stopped. “Oh my gosh!” he told the audience. “I’ve forgotten the words to this dang song! Can you believe it!”
A less experienced artist might have suffered a total meltdown, blowing a song in front of hundreds of radio professionals who make the decisions about what gets aired. But being a true professional, he picked up the threads of the song and carried on, much to the delight of his audience. If nothing else, they will all remember Urban’s “We Were” when they get back to their radio stations.
Vince Gill at UMG at the Ryman. Photo: Harris
Later, Vince Gill took the stage and, as he sat on his stool, he jokingly said he had been planning to bring his phone out and play to a track on it. “Keith said that was a really cool idea,” said Gill glancing off to the side of the stage with a smile. Guess no one is going to let Keith forget that. 2019 marks the 30th year that Vince Gill has been with MCA, part of the UMG family of labels. Risser noted that Vince has earned 18 CMA Awards and 20 Grammys, including wins for ten consecutive years.
